10 Principles of Giving as an Act of Worship

Read King David’s Seven (7) Principles of Giving and God’s Kingdom Currency. Biblical giving is an act of worship. First, it is stated in the Scriptures that the early church practiced generous giving—giving with a cheerful heart (Acts 4:32-37; 2 Cor. 9:7). Acts 4:32 states, “All the believers were one in heart and mind. NoContinue reading “10 Principles of Giving as an Act of Worship”

God’s Covenants: Looking Forward and Godward

Christians ought to look forward and Godward alongside the contemplation of the promises and covenants of God. The former alludes to “looking unto Jesus” verse in Hebrews 12:2. Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of all the covenants stretching from the Adamic typology and seed, preservation of life in Noahic covenant, to Abraham’s promised land andContinue reading “God’s Covenants: Looking Forward and Godward”

True and Proper Worship

What is the heart of worship? A simple answer would be: the centrality of our worship is grounded in Christ alone. Through Christ and in Christ, we were given the privilege of access to worship God with the utmost humility, reverence, and devotion. Indeed, even Apostle Paul reminded us, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers andContinue reading “True and Proper Worship”

Life Begins in Discipleship

There’s this famous phrase, “Life begins at forty.” Why? It is a time in a person’s life where he or she has already accumulated enough wisdom, savings, and connections to live a flourishing, comforting life. On the other side, there’s a fine line that a person may start experiencing their mid-life crisis. Trying to correctContinue reading “Life Begins in Discipleship”

Baptism: Meaning, Mode, and Manner

Download the full sermon manuscript on Union Community Bible Church Website On March 28, 2021, I preached a sermon on the topic of Baptism. Specifically, this topic is aligned to our sermon series, Defined: Understanding our Identity. In the previous sermons, we tackled about the Christian identity as an image of God, marred by Sin,Continue reading “Baptism: Meaning, Mode, and Manner”

“Struggling With Faith” A Reflection on Richard Sibbes’ The Bruised Reed and the Smoking Flax

The Christian life is a journey of a life-long struggle. Struggling with your faith; you know what is good, yet you choose the wrong one, or perplexed with your assurance of salvation, and even battling to overcome sin in your life. Many people think struggling is a negative state of being a Christian. But forContinue reading ““Struggling With Faith” A Reflection on Richard Sibbes’ The Bruised Reed and the Smoking Flax”

Thomas Manton on the Lord’s Prayer

Thomas Manton (1620-1677) emphasized the necessity of private prayer.[1] Manton said, “God requires secret and closet-prayer; for God’s command to pray, first fall upon single persons before it falls upon families and churches, which are made up of single persons (Complete Works of Thomas Manton, 1:10).” This is of course grounded in the word andContinue reading “Thomas Manton on the Lord’s Prayer”

The Kingdom of God: Jesus is King

The theme of the kingdom of God permeates the entire Scripture. It traces back in the book of Genesis, where God created the world as the sovereign Creator and put humanity in the garden of Eden (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:7-8). Though there is no explicit text that points to the kingship of God in this passage,Continue reading “The Kingdom of God: Jesus is King”

Samuel Pearce on Friendship

Samuel Pearce’s (1766-1799) life and works can still influence one’s life even after more than two centuries. Indeed, I started reading Michael Haykin’s compilation of Pearce’s letters and works during the start of Fall in 2020. Since I am inclined to reading biographies, I read another biography of Pearce written by Tom Wells that supplementedContinue reading “Samuel Pearce on Friendship”

Ten Things Andrew Fuller noted on Being a Pastor: A Reflection

When I studied under Dr. Michael Haykin’s class in Baptist History, one of his super-many requirements was to read a book about a Baptist minister during the eighteenth century plus to write a reflection about it. There were options either to choose Samuel Pearce or Andrew Fuller’s work. I chose Samuel Pearce’s works:* letters toContinue reading “Ten Things Andrew Fuller noted on Being a Pastor: A Reflection”